by C. J. Petit
Jack nodded as Jake said, “I can’t pay you today because it’s Sunday. But tomorrow morning, I’ll go to the bank to take out some money. I’ll give each of you an extra ten dollars to make up for your lost Saturday.”
John grinned as he said, “It’s good to have you back, boss.”
Jack then asked, “Did you find out where your pa went?”
“Not a whisper. I thought I had a lead and made a detour to Woman’s Breast. Then when I got to Helena, I found what I expected was a solid clue, but it was just a coincidence. After I talked to a liveryman who told me that no one had boarded two horses in a long time, I realized the futility of my search. I thought I’d be disappointed when I decided to call it quits, but I was relieved instead. I don’t know where he is now, but if he does show up, I’m not letting him take the ranch back. He gave it up his rights to the place when he murdered my mother.”
Jack asked, “You’re not going to look for Dave now; are you, Jake?”
“No. But I do want to know why he left. It had to be for a good reason. I just don’t know why he didn’t pay you first.”
John then asked, “Now that you’re gonna stay for good, are you gonna marry Miss Sara?”
Jake grinned as he looked at John and replied, “In the telegram I sent her on Friday, I told her that I hoped that our courtship finished before Friday unless she thought it was too long.”
Both men chuckled as they continued riding into the sun. They still had another forty miles before they reached the Elk’s access road.
_____
Sara was incredibly relieved after Big Tom explained what had the ranch in a turmoil and asked, “Would you come to our house and then escort me to the ranch? I want to surprise Jake when he returns.”
Tom replied, “Um…he won’t be comin’ back ‘til tomorrow.”
“I know. I want to clean the house for him.”
Tom looked over her head, hopefully to see her parents shaking their heads. But they were both noncommittal, so he reluctantly replied, “Okay, miss. I reckon I can do that.”
“It’s only a short walk, but my horse is saddled and I already have everything packed."
“I have to get my horse first, Miss Sara.”
“I’ll wait here.”
Tom nodded then slowly turned and walked to the nearby hitchrail.
As Sara watched him mount, Orville said, “It my horse that’s saddled, Sara.”
Sara turned to her younger brother and replied, “And I’ll take good care of him for a day. Then when Jake returns, he’ll give me Vulcan.”
Then Sara took Orville’s arm, and the Smith family began walking to their house with Tom riding slowly behind.
_____
When Sara and Big Tom arrived at the ranch house, Tom said that he would take care of Orville’s horse. The remaining men arrived en masse just as they dismounted. When Big Tom told them that she would be staying in the house waiting for Jake, the group became a melee as they jostled to carry her things into the house. But once they’d carried her bags over the threshold, they vanished into the ether as if they’d never been there. She suspected that they were all back in the chow house gossiping.
After leaving her bags in the front room near the couch, Sara entered the hallway. She looked in the first large bedroom which looked immaculate except for the expected dust. She was sure it was Jake’s parents’ room. She then looked into the bathroom and was surprised to see a large, porcelain tub with a pump at one end. She was smiling as she continued down the hall and soon stood in front of the open doorway to Jake’s bedroom. While it was still tidy, she knew it was his because of the extra pair of boots and his cold weather accessories in his open closet. She didn’t go into the room but turned and continued her exploration.
She found two more nicely furnished bedrooms, but she knew that they had never been used. She soon reached the kitchen and was very pleased with everything she found, including the well-stocked pantry and cold room.
She then returned to get her bags, but when she picked them up, she glanced at the only closed door in the house. She was sure it was Mister Elliott’s office and wasn’t sure if she should include it in her tour. She figured it wouldn’t hurt to just open the door and take a look, so she stepped across the large front room and set her bags down.
When she opened the door, she was mildly relieved that it didn’t hold any hideous surprises. After Mister McCallister told her of the foreman’s disappearance, she had almost expected to find his dead body slumped over the desk.
She was about to close the door when she noticed an envelope sitting in the center of the desk. Sara glanced behind her even though she knew she was alone before she entered the office and slowly approached the desk.
She didn’t touch the envelope because she didn’t need to read open it. Written across its face in a man’s hand was just ‘Jake’. She was certain that it was the missing foreman’s explanation or confession, so she simply turned around, left the office and closed the door.
After picking up her bags, she carried them to the empty bedroom next to Jake’s and set them on the bed. It only took her five minutes to put her clothes and personal necessities away.
Twenty minutes later, Charlie Shimshock surprised Sara when he delivered an overloaded tray of food without even asking if she had already eaten lunch. Until he arrived, she had completely forgotten about her missed meal because of her excitement.
As she accepted the overloaded tray and set it on the table, Sara said, “Thank you. This is enough food for two meals and that’s only if I share them with Orville’s horse.”
Charlie snickered then said, “We figured that Jake might be comin’ back even sooner than we reckoned. If he does, then you young folks would need some private time to talk and now you won’t have to cook.”
Sara quickly asked, “Do you really think he could be back before Monday?”
“If Jake left Helena yesterday really early, we got our heads together and figgered he could be back before sunset. If he was ridin’ just a regular horse, it might take him three days, but Mars and Vulcan are the best four-legged critters on the Elk.”
“I hope you’re right. I’ll set up a chair in the front room near the window after I have lunch and do some cleaning. I’d wait on the porch, but I want to surprise him.”
“You won’t have to sit there waitin’, Miss Sara. We had a meetin’ and set up a kind of watch. We’ll have a lookout in the barn loft, and he’ll spot Jake about five miles out. Then we’ll send somebody to let you know he’s comin’. You’ll have more than a half an hour to get ready. But we’re all gonna stay in the chow house, so you can really scare the pants off him.”
As soon as the words left his mouth, Charlie shot past blush into a stammering beet red as he quickly stuttered, “I…I didn’t mean…I know that…well, Jake, he’s a….and…and you’re not…”
Sara felt a laugh coming but was able to control it after a few seconds before she smiled and said, “I understand, Mister Shimshock. It was just a figure of speech.”
Charlie still hadn’t returned to his normal skin shade as he nodded and said, “Thank you for understandin’, Miss Sara.”
“Call me Sara. It won’t be long before I’m a regular fixture on the Elk. And maybe I will get lucky and scare Jake’s pants off anyway.”
Charlie chuckled before saying, “All of us reckon you are gonna be really good for Jake. We’re glad you came here, ma’am.”
“Jake is already really good for me, too.”
Charlie nodded, then turned and walked out the back door and pulled on his hat. Sara closed the door and hoped that the cook was right about Jake returning early.
When she finished her lunch twenty minutes later, she wondered if it was a magical tray because she swore that the pile of food was even larger now. She put most of it in the cold room then began cleaning. She knew it wouldn’t take long to dust, but she could use the time to arrange her new bedroom to suit her. Even if Jake return
ed today, she would use the room and was sure that Jake would sleep in his own bed. Sara was certain about one thing. She wasn’t going to return to her family home again. The Elk was her home now.
_____
Jake’s conversation with the two ranch hands continued almost unabated for another three hours before they stopped for lunch and to let the horses rest and get some water.
Jake still had more and better food than they did, and he expected to be having his supper in the ranch house, so they enjoyed a much bigger meal than one would normally expect on the trail.
While they ate, the mystery of Dave’s disappearance still haunted Jake, and he hoped that he’d find a note in the house which would provide an answer. He began to wonder if Dave might have figured out where his father was holed up and rode to talk to him. But that still didn’t explain his decision to leave without paying the men. After he doled out their salaries, he’d still have more than enough money left to pay for what he needed.
They were soon on the road again and Jake was no closer to understanding what had motivated Dave to leave. There were now only eighteen miles between them and the Elk.
When they resumed their ride, Jake may have still been wondering about Dave, but he was grateful when Jack changed the topic to Sara. In less than a minute, he forgot about Dave as he began a long monologue starting with their almost disastrous meeting in front of her father’s store.
The miles passed quickly as Jake came close to repeating most of their conversations almost verbatim. He did leave out some of their more personal comments, but as he rambled, Jack and John just rode quietly alongside with smiles on their faces. They had been relieved to find Jake but were happy to know that he would soon marry Miss Smith and the ranch would become an even better place to work.
_____
Al Pope was just about to turn over his watch to Pack Oliver when he took one last glance down the road and changed his mind.
Al exclaimed, “Somebody’s comin’, Pack!”
Pack had to shield his eyes against the early evening sun but soon picked up the dust cloud and shouted, “It’s gotta be them!”
“Let’s not get Miss Sara all excited yet. Let’s give ‘em a minute to get closer just to be sure. It might be somebody else.”
“On a Sunday?” Pack asked.
“It’s probably Jake and the boys, but it ain’t gonna hurt to wait a minute, Pack. If we see three riders and a packhorse, then we’ll let Miss Sara know.”
The two men continued to stare at the distant riders until Al said, “It’s them alright. Let’s go tell Miss Sara and get everybody in the chow house.”
As they turned to leave the loft, Pack said, “I sure wish I could see Jake’s face when he walks in that front door.”
Before they began climbing down the ladder, Al said, “I wonder how he looked when Jack told him Dave ran off.”
“Jake will handle it. It’s just kinda odd that he ran off like the boss did.”
“Yeah, but he didn’t murder anybody before he skedaddled.”
_____
Sara had been so anxious after Charlie suggested that Jake might return today that she found it difficult to concentrate on anything constructive after dusting and doing some minor rearranging.
She’d been reduced to thoughtful pacing for the past hour, and much of those thoughts centered on the envelope lying on Jake’s desk. She wasn’t about to open it or even try to read it though the envelope. But she was sure that Dave Forrest was its author, and it contained an explanation for his disappearance.
She was evolving a new theory as her circling track carried her into the main room at the same moment that Al Pope knocked loudly on the front door.
She hurried to the door and before she could ask, Al excitedly said, “He’s comin’, Miss Sara. He oughta be here in less than thirty minutes.”
Sara grinned and said, “Thank you!” before Al turned and raced off the porch.
She didn’t stay in the open doorway to watch Al disappear, but after a short glance down the access road, closed the door and walked to the couch where she took a seat. She smoothed her dress and tried to calm her excitement. She’d used some of her spare time to change out of her new riding outfit but wasn’t sure if it was an improvement.
_____
Even though Jake didn’t have a clue that Sara was waiting for him in the ranch house, he was still excited when he first spotted the Elk’s buildings. He’d asked Mars for more speed when they came into view, so after he’d been spotted by Al and Pack, the thirty minutes had been reduced to twenty.
What he was hoping and expecting to find in the house was a note from Dave. When Jack had told him that none of them had searched the house, which he understood, he knew that if Dave hadn’t left a note, then he might never know what had made him leave. He still wondered if Dave’s unexpected departure had something to do with his father’s earlier escape. If Dave had spotted his father, he might try to do Jake’s job and lost the gunfight.
By the time they turned down the access road, Jake’s mind was occupied by Dave’s disappearance. Sara didn’t even make a cameo appearance during the last two miles.
Jake soon noticed someone waiting on the porch steps but couldn’t see anyone else. It was a Sunday, so that wasn’t unusual. He soon identified Bill Jackson, who was now stepping away from the house.
When they pulled up, Bill said, “It’s really good to see you back, Jake. You can head into the house and I’ll take care of Mars and Vulcan.”
Jake dismounted, pulled his Winchester from its scabbard, then said, “Thanks, Bill. Jack and John will tell you and the other boys what happened and what I plan to do.”
Bill nodded then looked at Jack and said, “You two may as well stay in your saddles. Charlie has some hot chow ready.”
Jake walked to Vulcan, slipped the Sharps from it scabbard and said, “Bill, can you have my personal gear left on the porch?”
“Sure thing, boss.”
Jake smiled then turned to the porch without mentioning Bill’s use of ‘boss’ rather than his Christian name.
As he climbed the steps, Bill looked at Jack and motioned for him to follow before he led Mars and Vulcan away at a fast walk.
Jake leaned the Sharps against the door jamb, opened the door, then grabbed the heavy rifle and entered. He kicked the door closed with his right boot heel then froze.
Sara had been standing near the couch, and had expected to leap into his arms, but when he entered, she saw that his hands were already full. So, she just stood quietly until he saw her.
Jake gaped at her for another three seconds before he turned, set both rifles on the closest flat surface and took three long strides across the room.
He didn’t say a word before he scooped her in his arms and pulled her against him, leaving her feet suspended two inches off the floor.
Sara was so overwhelmed that she didn’t speak either, but just rested her head against his shoulder.
They remained in the center of the room, bound tightly to each other for almost a minute before Jake slowly lowered her to the floor.
She smiled and said, “Welcome home, Jake.”
“I couldn’t have hoped for a more wonderful welcoming. Is anyone else in the house?”
“Does it matter?”
Jake smiled as he shook his head then finally kissed her.
Sara’s stored desires and hopes exploded as she kissed him. Nothing else in the world mattered now.
When the kiss ended, Jake asked, “How long will you be staying? I have a lot to tell you.”
“I’ll stay as long as you want me to stay, Jake. I missed you terribly.”
“I missed you just as much, Sara. I just wish I’d found my father. Now I’ll never know why he murdered my mother. I may not figure out why Dave Forrest left, either.”
“There’s an envelope with your name on it sitting on the desk in your office. It’s probably from him.”
Jake released Sara then quickly aske
d, “Did you read it yet?”
“No. It was addressed to you.”
He took her hand then towed her to the office. After opening the door, he let her hand go and stepped quickly to the desk. He snatched the letter but didn’t sit behind the desk. He walked to one of the straight-backed chairs and pulled it closer to another. He then looked at Sara who understood that one was meant for her. It was Jake’s way of telling her that he already considered her a true partner.
Jake waited for Sara to sit down before he took his seat next to her. He then opened the envelope’s flap and pulled out two folded pages. He had recognized Dave’s handwriting on the envelope, so he knew he’d soon learn why he’d gone. He hoped it wasn’t anything to do with his father. It didn’t, but what he would read was just as stunning.
He held the letter in between him and Sara so she could read at the same time.
They read:
Dear Jake,
This is a hard letter for me to write, but I hope you’ll understand.
The day after you left, I received a letter from my sister-in-law, Violet. I know you didn’t even know I had a sister-in-law or a brother. No one did. I kept it a secret because of my shameful actions before I arrived on the Elk.
My younger brother Abe and I started a small ranch in Meagher County near Judith Creek about twelve years ago. Once it was going well, he married Violet. She was a very pretty young woman and, to be honest, I was jealous. Abe didn’t notice, so it was okay for a while.
But Violet quickly realized that I was attracted to her and we soon began sharing private time together. You can imagine how hard it was to do that on a small ranch. To my eternal shame, I even planned to run away with her. I believe she would have come with me if I’d asked, but she soon discovered that she was pregnant.
Abe was ecstatic, but I was terrified that the baby might look more like me than my brother. I didn’t even tell Violet of my fears, but I think she knew. Like a coward, I just loaded up a packhorse and rode away in the night. I headed north to Fort Benton and was hired by your father.
After I settled in on the Elk, I got a post office box and wrote a letter to Abe and Violet. Violet wrote to me fairly often over the years. Abe never suspected anything. The first baby was a boy they named David. I couldn’t imagine how that made Violet feel. She had two more children. A girl they named Mary and another boy they named Saul. Violet is convinced that David is my son. I can’t imagine any man feeling more like a cur than I did when I read that letter.